Bathtub seat and hand rest



May 19 '19313, Hi E; v@ocmw/1N .1,805,622

BATHTBSEAT AND' HAND nns'r' Y( Filed Nqv. 29. 1929 gwoentof.

/0 y HARLEY E. Goonwm Patented Mayy 19," 1931 lUNIT-ED srnrle. .sN

HARLEY E. GOODWIN, OIE1 HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT BATHTUB SEAT AND HAND`RES'1 `.Application filed November 25:),v 1529. Serial No. 410,467.

My invention relates to a seat which may also be used as a safety hand-rest, and means for positioning same upon the outer and upper wall of 'bath-tubs.

.5 The object of my invention is to provide a convenient and comfortable seat upon the edge or rim of bath-tubs, forv greater ease in taking footbaths whether within the bathtub proper or by use of foot-tub or pan placed within the bath-tub, as well as providinga convenient place to sit while drying the feet and lower limbs after bathing. i

A further object of my invention-is to prof vide in combinationwith the seat, a handrest, for greater safety and ease in getting in and out of bath-tubs. It is well known that painful and often permanent injuries are v frequently caused by slipping and falling in, and across the edges of bath-tubs, and this I believe to be due-in large measure tothev bather depending for support upon the smooth or wet and 'slippery rail of tub. It will be readily understood that by making the upper side `of seat and hand-rest of rubber or other soft yielding material, that not only acomfortable seat, but a safe nonrslipping rest and supportfor the hand is provided.

The invention further resides` in ease of 3 manufacture and facility with which the devipge may be attached to practically all bathtu s. c,

In carrying out my invention I make use.

of the instrumentalities illustrated in the following figures, in which:

Figurel is a perspectiveview `showing a section of side and upper portion of that-type of tub having an outward and downwardly curving rail, and showing the seat in position 4 upon and over the rail, with its upper andV outer sides visible, and likewise showing a detachable member inserted beneath the rail, and occupying that space between the outer wall of tub and the outside portion, or wing of seat, together with two screws, one at either end of wing yfor Vthe purpose of holding the inserted member in place.

Figure 2 is a side view of a section of the upper side of a bath-tub as in Figure 1, with the seat mounted upon it, and the inserted member held in position by screws passing through kthe lower or wing yportion of seat at either end, 'and this inserted member is indicated as fitting underneath the curved rail or rim of tub." The upper portion of seaty is indicated asy being of considerable thickness c, and reduced somewhat insize at either end.

- Figure is much the same as Figure 2, but showing entirelength of tub and indicating about the proportionate'space the seat would 60vr occupy. Y

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the seat and hand rest shown 1n Figures 1, 2, and

3, vand, showing the structure ymounted upon 'the edgey ofthe more modern type of bath- 65 tub, which has its outer wall standing` in a practically vertical plane,` and without the y overhanging curved rim or rail as shown in Figure 1. Alsoit will be seen that the in-V serted member held in position by screws beneath the curved rail as in Figure 1, is not required in Figure 4. Here 'the seat is shown n as beingfairly thick at ythe top as well as 'at' its projecting or bulging upper sides and conl tracting as it extends downward in a wing or iiange on both inner and outer sides ofthe tub wall. The center or inner structureof seat is indicatedand may be described as being of suitable stiifening material land with i. a layer of rubber or other soft clinging substance kwherefconiing in contact with the tub wall, and having the Vouter and upper portions covered .with rubber or other relatively f thick, ksoft and yielding `substance to provi-de a comfortable seat surface. c e

Myjimproved device in its general construction lcomprises 'a seat surface indicated by numeral '1 and this is intendedy to be prac- Y tically flat and ygenerally rectangular in shapeeXcepting at its extremities or corners 2-3--4 and k5 where it is reduced to conform more nearly tothe shape ofthe top edge o1 railV 13 and 14 of bath-tub upon which it' rests. c

The seat portion proper 1, has outwardly kformed or bulging sides 6 andk 7 to provide somewhat greater width than the usual bath tub rail discloses, and these protruding sides 6 and 7 contract somewhat abruptly and eX- tend downward for a suitable distance upon either side of the tub-wall 17 in the form of anges or wings 8 and 9 as shown in Figure 4, which in general discloses the bath-tub seat positioned upon the outer wall 17 of a bath-tub of the more modern type.

In order that my bath-tub seat may be attached securely to that type of tub in more general use having an outward and downwardly curved top edge or rail and a relatively thin wall, I provide a member 10 as a filler to be inserted between the tub wall 18 and the fiange or wing portion of seat indicated by numeral 8. The member 10 is intended to fit against edge and concave portion of rail 13 and is maintained in its position by means of screws 11 and 12 passing through Wing member 8.

The material construction of bath-tub seat and hand-rest, is best shown in cross section view of Figure 4, wherein the numeral 15 shows a core of sheet-metal, meshewire or other suitable stiffening material, and in contact with tub-walls a softer more clinging material as shown by numeral 1G, and the outer surface being covered with rubber or other suitable soft yielding material especially upon its upper side and indicated by numeral 19.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, useful and patentable is 1. In a device of the character described a bathtub Wall having an overhanging top rail, a combination seat and hand rest having downwardly extending wings engaging the sides of the top rail portion, and a filler mem ber positioned beneath the curved overhanging rail and detachably connected to the rest.

2. A combination seat and hand rest for bath-tubs having a body portion positionec above the top of the wall of the bath-tub, wings depending from the body portion and adapted to straddle the wall of the tub, a reinforcing member straddling the tub wall and embedded in the wing portions, said body portion having a generally lflat top surface and the side edges of the body portion projecting laterally beyond the Wing portions thereby providing a bulge at each side, the said body portion including the bulges being tapered down at their ends whereby the ends of the body portion conform generally to the transverse curvature of the top of the bath-tub Wall, and abrupt shoulders are avoided.

HARLEY E. GOODWIN. 

